The use and management of soil have a direct impact on natural resource and on flora and fauna.
The changes in soil management can result in soil degradation, as well as in the reduction of
biodiversity. The ways of soil management are revealed in the functional dimension of the soil
from the standpoint of human needs and their economic activities. Based on the available data,
agricultural areas in zones of protection are represented in 10% share. For example, 3000 ha of
that area are covered in arable land and orchards, and 2000 ha are covered in meadows. Within
the area of nature park (NP) Žumberak – Samobor hills one can find meadows, arable lands,
orchards, vegetable gardens and vineyards that are significantly managed, even though some of
them are neglected.
The primary goals of this master thesis were determining the variability of chemical properties
of the soil and the prevalence of flora considering the different ways of soil management. With
the purpose of exercising the said goals, fieldwork was done in July of 2016 on three different
locations within borders of NP Žumberak – Samobor hills, where sampling of soil and gathering
of flora has been done.
Different ways of soil management within the borders of NP Žumberak - Samobor hills have
affected the variety of chemical features of the soil. Due to the favorable conditions that acted
in the half-cultivated soil of the meadow, mineralisation processes have resulted in increased
content of the overall nitrogen, carbon, sulfur and humus in the meadow soil, as opposed to the
cultivated soils of gardens and orchards. Overall 39 plant species within 22 families were noted.
According to numbers, the most represented were the species from Fabaceae, Asteraceae and
Poaceae families.